Improvıng Maternal Health Servıces in Remote Rural Areas: Through the Use of Geographıc Informatıon System Technology

Indonesia’s high Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and İnfant Mortality Rate (IMR) are major health concerns. In Indonesia’s 2020, MMR was 199/100,000 live births, exceeding the 2015–2030 global target of 70/100,000. Geographic Information Systems (GISs) maternal and infant health are useful in mapping and evaluating pregnant women’s locations to determine health facility access. This study aimed to describe the use of GIS to map pregnant women, risky pregnant women, and the distance to the nearest health facility in a remote rural Indonesian area. The study used descriptive quantitative surveying. This study focused on rural pregnant women in Bulukumba, South Sulawesi. The sampling method used the total population. This study uses ArcGIS to find coordinates points using latitude and longitude points. Descriptive analysis to be used maps pregnant women’s risk of accessing health facilities. Results this research, using GIS to map pregnant women, especially high-risk ones, to shelters and health facilities found 47.7% have a risk of pregnancy, 34.9% get to the hospital in 50–60 min, and 1.1% above 60 min. GIS mapping in rural pregnant women can monitor high-risk pregnancies, but it must be enhanced continuously. GIS in health, especially for mothers and children, can help the government present health equality policies by estimating distance and time to access health facilities, especially in specific geographic locations, with decreased MMR and improving maternal and child health.